This invention relates to a device for selective coloring of hair, particularly for streaking or frosting hair, and to a method of coloring hair using the device in such a way as to apply a suitable hair dye to selected hair areas rather than to an entire head of hair.
The problem of coloring selected areas of hair has already been addressed in various ways. Poole et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,781, proposed a method of streaking hair by combing the hair into sectors, separating a layer of hair from one sector using a protective sheet of flexible material material, and brushing the separated layer with a brush having spaced tufts. After all the hair has been treated in this way, the head is wrapped with aluminum foil and the hair allowed to dry.
Another prior art hair frosting, or streaking, method involves covering the head with a tightly fitting cap provided with a series of distributed apertures. Tufts of hair are drawn through the apertures outside of the cap by means of a crochet needle and treated with a coloring agent. Thus, a distinct coloration is imparted to the isolated tufts of hair, giving the desired streaking, or frosting, effect.
Other methods and devices have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,692,032; 4,144,897; 4,196,741; 4,224,954; and 4,398,549. These patents all propose some types of hair isolating means, i.e. foldable sheets, purses, "compacts" and the like, some of them associated with hair engaging means such as clamps (U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,032) or adhesive strips (U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,741). According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,549, hair may be isolated in a purse which clamps tufts of hair at one edge when closed.
Schmidt (U.S. Pat. No. 1,438,141) and Neff (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,609,823 and 2,609,824) propose hair restraining devices. The device of Schmidt consists of a circumferential tape, or band, to which is attached a plurality of elastic tapes adapted to be stretched across the crown of the head so as to hold the hair in proper position. The devices of Neff provide an arrangement of non-elastic tapes for the same purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,964 to Wells proposes to divide the subject's hair into individual sectors, separated by part lines. Lengths of single-side adhesive tape are fixed along the part lines and covered by corresponding lengths of double-side adhesive tape. Liquid impervious sheets are placed against the hair so that their corners contact the adhesive surface of two angled tape sections. Locks of hair are placed on a sheet, treated with a coloring agent, and then the sheet is rolled up from the bottom edge and attached to the adhesive tapes to maintain the rolled hair packet in place.
While the Wells device is useful, it would be desirable to eliminate the use of adhesive tape which involves pulling hair and thus some discomfort, while providing a convenient holding "frame" for the hair isolating means.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a method of color streaking hair which reduces the discomfort to the subject, particularly due to hair pulling.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of streaking hair which would eliminate hair tensioning associated with hair rolling.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a hair streaking device which is amenable to repeated use and would constitute a convenient frame for a plurality of hair isolating means.